Imported coal-based power plants with a combined capacity of over 10,000 megawatt (MW) continue to operate at marginal capacities, and some units even lie closed, at a time the country wants to generate more electricity and meet its rising post-pandemic power demand. This is because these units owned by the Tata, Adani and Essar groups are still to realise the benefit of ‘compensatory tariffs’ granted to them by the Supreme Court in an April 2017 order, appreciating the unforeseen spike in imported (Indonesian) coal prices during the period since 2010.
